Casino News Roundup: Golden Agreement, Macau Slowdown, Foxwoods’ Best

This week’s casino news takes us on a tour of the world. From deals in Las Vegas to reports in Macau to awards in Connecticut, there are some important gaming headlines to pass along.

Golden Entertainment Reaches Long-Term Deal With William Hill

William Hill runs a number of sportsbooks in Las Vegas and can now add one more to its collection. Las Vegas-based gaming company Golden Entertainment signed a long-term deal with British bookmaker William Hill, which will put Will Hill in charge of Golden’s Nevada, Montana and Maryland race and sports operations.

William Hill already had deposit kiosks at nearly 80 Golden-owned taverns and third-party gaming locations in Nevada. They will also increase its reach into the race and sportsbook operations at three Golden properties in Las Vegas, plus multiple Golden locations in Laughlin, Nevada.

Golden Entertainment and William Hill are making these moves in pursuit not only of increased revenues in Nevada, but with the hope that sports betting will be legalized in Montana and Maryland. Recent court rulings in the United States have opened the door for sports betting to be legalized in each state. New Jersey and Delaware promptly legalized sports betting and are up and running. If Montana and Maryland are next, Golden Entertainment will be in position to capitalize right away.

Macau Casinos Have Worst Month In More Than Two Years

The reality of taking in $2.73 billion in the month of September might not seem like a bad thing for most businesses but for Macau, that number has caused some concern.

That figure marked the slowest rate of gaming revenue growth for Macau casinos in more than two years. The September growth rate was 2.8 percent, below analysts’ forecasts.

Is it a legitimate cause for concern? Not really. A recent typhoon in the locality was partly responsible for the sluggish activity in Macau casinos. Secondly, the Chinese government’s fight with the Trump administration over tariffs has had an impact too. China’s economy has slowed down due to the tariffs, which has trickled down into the gaming realm. Less money all around means less disposable income for potential Macau customers. With the United States reaching trade deals with Canada and Mexico, that could pave the way for a new pact with China, which would ease some of these problems.

This is likely just a one-off but given the slowdown, it will put a stronger emphasis on the October report.

Foxwoods Resort Voted "Best Casino"

USA Today has released its 2018 casino awards and the Foxwoods Resort Casino will be happy to read the news. Based in Mashantucket, Connecticut, the gaming venue was voted "Best Casino Outside of Las Vegas" by readers of the newspaper as well as a panel of industry evaluators.

The casino is owned and operated by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation and has always been a big hit because of its offering. Yes, there’s a vast array of casino games and slots, but they also offer golf courses, bowling lanes, spas, adventure rides and many other amenities.